Question

A police officer was patrolling a neighborhood, when he observed Fred, a known drug dealer, casually enter a home carrying a black bag. The officer suspected that the bag contained drugs, so the officer approached Fred’s home and kicked open the door. Once inside the home, he discovered several bundles of cocaine. Is evidence of the cocaine seized from the home admissible?

Answer 1

Answer:

No, because the officer lacked a search warrant to enter Fred's home, nor did he meet any of the exceptions to the warrant requirement.

Explanation:

For the evidence of cocaine seized at Fred's house to be admissible it would be necessary for the police officer to have a search warrant, as he had not, the evidence (though true) is inadmissible. A search warrant is a court document that authorizes police officers to conduct a search for evidence on anyone's property. A police officer can only search for evidence if he has a search warrant.